Realistic or Modern Family Ties: 1980s Gangs - IC (Ended)

[Misty Gray]

Adam Harper
Liam and Arlene Sullivan
Wednesday 12th September 1962
~ New York City, New York ~​

It was three months since Adam had been released from his two-year prison sentence. Equipped with more skills and experience, not to mention contacts obtained during his time behind bars, he hadn't even had to seek out his gang members in the Bronx. Instead, Adam had been approached by members of the Sullivan Mob and brought in to work directly for them. A man with Adam's skills and resourcefulness had only taken weeks to make a name for himself within the the organisation. Whether it was debt collecting, driving, intimidation, or even carrying out contract kills, the man proved he was effective and efficient. He'd found something he was good at and it kept him busy.

The sun had barely set before a black car pulled up in the yard of the car repair shop Adam was working at. A well-dressed man stepped out of the passenger seat but maintained some distance as he addressed Adam. "Mr. Sullivan wishes to speak with you," the burly Irishman commanded Adam. "Leave any weapons behind and get in the back," he said, patting the roof of the vehicle.

The drive the Hells Kitchen had been a silent one, but it didn't intimidate Adam. Not only was he confident he'd done nothing to put himself on the bad side of the Sullivan boss, but he was a man with nothing to lose other than his own life. Were he a man who feared death, he was sure he wouldn't have done most of the things he'd done in his adult life. He would have played it safe and avoided the risks he seemed to take on a daily basis.

After getting out of the car, Adam was led to what looked like a rundown apartment block, but once they reached the top floor apartment, Adam was surprised to find the place well decorated and furnished. No doubt one of the Sullivans' bases, or judging by the desk and chairs around it - one of Liam's many secret office locations. He'd heard the man was stylish and the interior decor reflected that. A diamond hidden within the dirt of the apartment block. Dressed in his expensive suit and his hair perfected, Liam stood from his seat at the desk and motioned for Adam to sit in the armchair positioned across the desk from him. Standing to Liam's left was an attractive blonde-haired woman, apparently a few years older than Adam, but certainly not the oldest woman he'd slept with. Once Adam had moved deeper into the room, the two armed guards on the corridor closed the doors from the outside.

"Adam Harper," the boss greeted him, reaching over his desk to give the man a firm handshake before sitting down in his large leather chair. "I'm Liam Sullivan," he confirmed to him, aware they'd never met, even if Adam had seen his face around the city. "And this is my sister, Arlene," he introduced the blonde woman.

"Pleasure to meet you, Adam," Arlene spoke with a sense of confidence in her strong New York accent, as she stepped forward in her high heeled boots to shake Adam's hand. She returned to her spot nearby, continuing to stand and she listened in on the meeting.

Liam sat back in his seat, clearly a man full of self-assurance and power. Once again, it didn't intimidate Adam. If anything, the attitude the boss reflected was something he could appreciate - he expected the man running New York's criminal empire would have a lot of confidence behind him. How else would he command so much? "I've been hearing plenty about you, Adam," Liam began. As he spoke, Arlene set about pouring the three of them some whiskey before sliding Adam's glass tumbler across the desk towards him, flashing a flirtatious yet dangerous smile at him. Liam took a sip of his drink before eyeing Arlene in a way that told her to behave herself. "You were doing some solid work for the Bronx lot before you ended up in jail. Then I heard you managed to climb the ranks behind bars - offering protection and helping with my drugs trade in there. Since getting out you've been working for my guys directly. You strike me as a strong man - not just in terms of muscle but resilience and willingness to take a few knocks to get the job done. Not to mention smart and with a good eye for business. Most of all, I get this deep sense of loyalty from you. Everything you've done in and out of jail has been exclusively to the benefit of my business. Are you a loyal man, Adam? A man who is willing to carry out any job that is asked of him without question?"

Adam nodded along as Liam spoke of the work he'd been doing. It had been pure chance that he'd ended up working indirectly for the Sullivans back in the early 1950s, but he'd found something he was good at and when he'd pledged loyalty to the Sullivan-affiliated gang, he'd meant it. As he was climbing the ranks and had become directly employed by the Sullivans, it was them his commitment now sat with. He didn't have family, but he had friends and comrades, people he would not betray. "That's right, Mr. Sullivan. I'm committed to my work and no job is too big an ask. You'll be aware of my track record. I believe in getting the job done - no questions, no dithering. As long as I get paid at the end of each mission, what is there to be a fuss about?" Adam asked, casually shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh, I like this one!" Arlene told Liam, her tone remaining serious to match her stern expression. After a nod of her brother's head, Arlene made her way to the back of the room and opened the doors. As she walked back towards the desk, the two armed guards dragged in and heavily beaten man, throwing him down onto his knees on the floor next to where Adam was seated.

Liam stood up and rounded the desk, placing his hands on his hips as he kept some distance. "This one here has been spying for Francesco Moretti. Have you heard of him? You will," Liam began, not giving Adam chance to confirm he had indeed heard of the Italian. As the bloodied and bruised man attempted to get up, Arlene slammed the end of her stiletto boot heel into the side of his head, forcing him to stay where he was. The blonde woman then handed Adam the pistol, making it beyond clear to him where they were heading. As Arlene stepped away, Liam held out his hand to stop Adam from doing anything yet. "I know you confirmed you carry out tasks without question or fuss. But this guy on the floor, he's a father of three little kiddies, has a beautiful wife. He's struggling to make a living to support them." Liam held up a photograph of the man in question with his wife and kids. "Cute family, ain't it? Shame daddy's going to be out of the picture." Liam placed the photograph down on the table before pointing to the gun in Adam's hand. "Kill him," the boss bluntly instructed Adam.

Adam had listened to the explanation about the man having a young family and he'd seen evidence in the photograph. He was sure a lot of men he'd killed had families, but it didn't change anything. So when Liam told him to kill the man, Adam barely gave his victim chance to start begging, instead, he stood up, pushing his chair back, before aiming the gun and squeezing the trigger without a moment's hesitation. The loud bang echoed in the room as the bullet ripped into the centre of the man's forehead. Then another gunshot as the second bullet tore through his eye into his brain. Adam calmly lowered his gun before looking back to the armchair, as if asking if he should sit back down. "Business is business, Mr. Sullivan," he said, setting the gun down on the desk to voluntarily disarm himself.

Liam couldn't help but smile to himself, albeit whilst looking down to his suit to check none of the enemy's blood had made its way onto him. He clapped his hands once before rubbing them together. "Alright. I like that," Liam said, with a broad smile. "Arlene, leave us alone," he told his sister. Watching as she left the room, he beckoned Adam to join him standing at the side of his desk, away from the forming pool of blood on the floor nearby. Noticing the way Arlene had once again caught Adam's wondering eyes, Liam couldn't help but smirk. "Don't even think about that, mate," he said, patting him on the shoulder. "She would eat you alive."

Adam had to force himself from responding with any remark to suggest he would very much like to let the stunning blonde do what she wanted to him. She was the boss' sister, after all - dangerous territory even for Adam. "I wouldn't dream of it," he assured Liam.

"I like you, Adam. I see a lot of potential being wasted at the bottom of my food chain. Loyalty is vital, but I also need a man with brains and intelligence. A man who also understands business. You've got all of that. I'm going to see to it that you're promoted within my security team." Offering Adam a cigarette, which he accepted, Liam then lit one up for himself. After taking a long drag, he blew out a puff of smoke. "Also... I may soon have need for a man who can speak Spanish," he suggestively told him, knowing Adam was fluent in the language. Clearly, Liam had been doing his research.

 

[Pyroclast]

Erik's Place
~ Hackney, London ~

Billy King​

Billy nodded when Erik told him he had expected Spencer and Bruce to both blow up at them for being gay and becoming romantically involved with each other. He had expected it, too. Although his brother and uncle had proven supportive of everything else Billy had ever brought to them, he thought it would be stupid and naïve to trust that they would accept him this time. This wasn't an ambition or a project, like going to university or taking on projects as an architect, or even doing a job for the firm. It was a lifestyle that came with a heavy stigma; it put him in the same pool as the AIDS victims they had been hearing about for years, and put him at risk of homophobic attacks and discrimination. Not only that, but it could even impact on the reputation of the firm. Billy wouldn't have been surprised if his brother and uncle had discouraged him, or told him to essentially get back into the closet and act like the conversation had never happened. Despite knowing how much they loved and cared about him, Billy was shocked that they had accepted him immediately. As for Erik, he couldn't really imagine what it meant to him. He had noticed him tear up when Bruce had hugged him, so when Erik told him that he had never had to come out to anyone whose opinion was as important as Bruce's or Spencer's, it didn't surprise him that it had been hard for Erik.

Billy's face reddened slightly when Erik reminded him of how Spencer had caught them together in the bathroom, but even when Erik gave a chuckle, he couldn't quite smile with him. He could tell that Erik wasn't really okay - he recognised that tone of voice and the body language that he used when he was trying to hold his head up high. Still, he didn't press him or try to coax anything out of him. He had come over to decompress, and to help Erik relax after the unexpected and overwhelming situation they had been through earlier on. It seemed too early to go into it in much depth - after all, the last thing he wanted to do was upset him.

The way Erik laughed and joked about how Alex might react to the news of their relationship made Billy wonder what he thought of his brother. So far, all Billy could picture was Alex reacting awkwardly, in disgust or with a series of uncomfortable and personal questions about being gay that Billy absolutely would not want to answer. As much as he loved Erik and wanted to be with him, a big part of him was still self-conscious about the whole thing, unable to shift the shame that had laid dormant inside him his whole life, and he couldn't imagine a reaction from his older brother that wouldn't upset him on some level. "Well, we can think about how to do it later," Billy said, not joining in with Erik's laughter.

When Billy got to his feet, Erik stood up with him and let Billy take his hands. The word 'boyfriend' was a hard one to say, but once he had said it he felt his heart leap in his chest. Feeling Erik's hands on his face, Billy was drawn into the man's eyes and as soon as Erik accepted his proposal Billy's face broke into a giddy smile and he leaned in to kiss him, wrapping his arms around his waist. Billy had entered relationships before, but never had it felt like this. After a series of empty relationships with women, he finally understood how it was supposed to feel. Not just something done to gain popularity or make someone happy, but because it was real. Because he had never been as happy as he was with Erik, and he couldn't imagine ever being without him.

"I love you," Billy uttered between kisses. "I can't believe this is really happening…" A light giggle escaped him as he leaned away, hanging his arms loosely around Erik's neck and looking up at him like he was the only thing that mattered in the whole world. "What if we don't go out tonight?" he whispered suggestively. "What if we just…" And he let his hands travel slowly down Erik's body, biting down on his lip as he moved in towards him, closing the space between them completely. "Close the blinds and just…have some fun?"

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess Erik

 

[Pyroclast]

The Royal Taphouse
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Bruce King​

It made their fighting seem all the more ridiculous when Spencer pointed out how they were both feeling the same guilt over not being able to save Laura. It was something that Bruce thought about every day of his life, but with Trevor back in the picture, the pain had since been amplified, taking him right back to that nightmarish time in his life.

Bruce felt instantly calmer when Spencer smiled and told him he had already forgiven him. He stood up when prompted, a little dizzy from the hit he had taken, and returned Spencer's firm embrace, relieved that they were back on good terms again. Spencer told him he was glad that Bruce had hit him back as it made him feel better about throwing the first punch. Bruce couldn't help but laugh as he lowered himself back into his seat at the table. "Well, I've gotta check on those fightin' skills of yours every now and then, don't I? Least I know you still got a powerful punch." A small grunt escaped him as he reached up to feel his jaw. "Good to go for the jaw, too," he praised him. "Coulda' knocked me right out, that could."

Spencer then went on to apologise to Bruce for his recent behaviour - including his intention to make it up to Shona for neglecting her and Eddie. Bruce was completely over their falling out, but what he did find disturbing was hearing what had been on Spencer's mind to make him want to go on a bender in the first place. "You two will work it out, I'm sure," he said. "But Spencer, don't go down that road again. You know you ain't your father, and Shona and Eddie are lucky to have ya'. You ever have doubts like that again, you come to me. I'll set ya' straight."

Taking the words right out of Bruce’s mouth, Spencer admitted that he wanted to move on from their fight and come back to working together, suggesting that they also ought to work through their common issues together. “Couldn’t agree more, son,” he said with a sigh. “I always hope I’ll never have to lean on ya’, Spencer, but…I do think we should talk more. If there’s somethin’ botherin’ ya’, holdin’ ya’ back from work or somethin’ that’s gettin’ between us, I’d rather ya’ come tell me what’s on your mind. Even if you don’t need my help with whatever it is. Just so we understand each other better and we don’t get into these tiffs, you know? And I’ll…I’ll be more open with you, too.”

Bruce idly rubbed his jaw as he mulled over his own words. Since his parents died when he was young, Bruce had taught himself to put on a stiff upper lip. He had always looked out for Laura, Darcey, Olga, and all the kids, without leaning on anyone. If he had to, it would be Darcey, but even then he tried to bear most of the weight on his own. Because of this, he knew that it would be a challenge for him to be open about his personal troubles with Spencer, despite seeing him as a sort of equal, purely because it had always been his job to look after his nephew and help guide him through life. But he had to admit that Spencer was old enough for their dynamic to evolve, now - his eldest nephew needed less guidance from him these days, and therefore may be able to take on some of Bruce’s burdens if need be.

After the two sat thoughtfully for a moment, Spencer reflected on the day’s revelations: May being closely related to the King siblings, and Billy and Erik entering a relationship. Bruce let out a pensive hum as he thought about his youngest nephew. He hadn’t had a moment to properly process the news of his sexuality and while he remained sure that it wouldn’t change the love he felt towards him, he still needed some time to let it all make sense in his head. “Yeah,” he said with another sigh. “Hope they’ll be alright…”

His thoughts were swiftly moved onto the custody case between Alex and Savannah, at which Bruce gave an acknowledging nod, and then Spencer asked about what he had missed business-wise, as well as the latest news on the Harper and Trevor situation and if Trevor had stayed away from her after Bruce had tortured him. He shook his head. “If he ain’t, I’ll have his head,” he grumbled. It may have sounded like a joke, but Bruce was deadly serious. “I’ll check in with Harper later, and Jeremy, too. I’m worried Trevor might start stalkin’ her or somethin’, so I need to make sure no one’s seen him about.”

When Spencer asked if Bruce would take him back, he looked at him a little confused, not expecting him to be so genuinely concerned. “Spencer, ‘course you’re in, ya’ wally,” he said with a roll of his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. “I can’t see what this firm would be without ya’.” He pushed himself to his feet, then, holding a hand up to his jaw. “But as for business talk, I think we can save that for tomorrow. For now, let’s get these stupid bruises iced, yeah? Your eye’s lookin’ bad enough already.”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer

Mentioned:
Bellz Harper
Melanin-Gxdess Darcey, Erik

 

[BasDorcha]

The Royal Taphouse
Maeve Thatcher​

May watched Christian shift a bit uncomfortably, the alcohol easing in her system as the food began to take affect and so did the water. Sipping more at the cold liquid, followed by another handful of chips, she listened to him talk, the adoration in her eyes unknown to her but easily visible to those who might be watching from an outside perspective. Feeling playful, she took one of the smaller, crispier fries and stood it on end under her finger, and flicked it like a paper football at him, sending it soring past his head. Giggling, she sat back, looking like she might half-expect to need to dodge one in return.

The cough that broke out of him at her comment didn’t help any. Instead her face turned red again, the giggling taking her breath away. Crafty, was she? Under the table, her foot slid forward, lifting and just lightly touching the inside of his calf for the briefest of instances, then dropped, her face never giving away whether or not she intended to do it or not. While all this happened, May looked up, watching Kerry leave as well, a curious look on her now distracted face.

When Christian started talking again, she turned back, listening with that same look again. He completely missed her inuendo about the dirt, but that’s okay. May had a feeling deep down that Christian was a pretty stand up guy, so it made sense for him to miss some of the flirtatiousness by being trying to be the best kind of gentleman he could be – which was a big difference for her compared to the dogs she was use to having to be around in the bar scene. “I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant seeing those crime scenes, I’m sorry you went through that.” She thought about the stories he’d already told her and frowned a bit, feeling truly sorry he had to endure such pain.

“I think you’re safe to assume I’m neither of those things, and I have nothing that I’m trying to use you for. Honestly, when I asked you to look into my father, I just wanted an excuse to call you. The man has never been around, and while it would be nice to wake up one day and have a loving family that cared two shits about me, I’m not holding my breath. I could just as well live the rest of my life not ever knowing him. Besides, there’s a difference between keeping a secret because you’re paid too, and keeping a secret because you want to use it maliciously, or hurt the person. I for one understand there will never be complete answers to all my questions, with you or people in general.” As Christian looked away, May looked up and watched the trio exit the back as well. Darcey looked… Conflicted. She wasn’t sure why, but she made note to ask Darcey as soon as she could if she was okay.

“Hm, for me? I guess it would have to be the same. I don’t like being used. My mother used me, turned me out, treated me poorly, blamed me for things outside of my control, and I hated it. All I ever wanted was for her to treat me like I saw other mothers treating their daughters. I don’t want to be someone’s problem, I want to be someone’s joy.”

Misty Gray - Christian
Melanin-Gxdess - Darcey

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Dublin Hospital
~Dublin City Center, Dublin~
Aliana Sullivan​

Aliana sat and watched as Michelle tried to find the words she was trying to say. It wasn't until she actually got up from her seat that Ali watched with a curious look on her face. Either she was trying to apologize and was struggling - something Ali found herself struggling to do at times too - or she really just couldn't find the words she wanted to use. Either way, it was starting to grate Ali's nerves, especially seeing as she didn't really have time for this. Syd and Adam were waiting for her and she didn't want to keep them waiting any longer. She took a deep sigh, about to suggest they pinned the conversation for now when Michelle seemed to figure it out. She'd heard, "I'm sorry", and once again was hopeful that Michelle saw and understood her parent's split had nothing to do with her. That is, of course, until she kept. Fucking. Talking. Clearly, Ali thought to herself, she has the wrong idea and doesn't really understand anything about what happened. Maybe it was because she was only a child when it did happen, but Ali would have expected her to see the reason now that she was an adult. Now that she was experiencing something similar for herself.

But alas, she hadn't and went back to, what Ali felt to be, being passive-aggressive in her insinuations. "Oh for crying out," she started, standing to her feet. "You clearly don't understand and I'm not going to have this conversation again with a child." Ali hadn't meant to let out such words, but she was battling her own demons at the moment. She didn't have space or time to be going back and forth when the other party just didn't want to understand. "Your parents weren't together when Conor and I met, so quit blaming me for their failed relationship. I won't continue to be the scapegoat just because you're going through the same things she did." Her words were harsh and said out of the overwhelming emotions she was feeling. She hadn't noticed how angry she'd gotten in such a short time frame until she was breathing heavy and frowning. Taking a step back, she looked at her watch once more and groaned. "I can't deal with this, I have to go. Just," she paused, looking to Michelle before shaking her head. "Just spend time with your father." Gesturing towards Conor's hospital room, Ali finally turned and started walking down the hall, stopping in front of Edwards. "Let me know when or if she leaves so I can come back, alright?"

Without waiting for a response Aliana continued walking down the corridor toward the elevator. It'd been like walking through a maze the first night she'd been here but now she knew her way around. Stepping inside she waited for the doors to close before letting out the breath she was holding. Blinking back tears had been rough but she managed to, sniffling and wiping her nose. Deep down Ali knew Michelle was just confused, but having to go through the whole, "Did I ruin a happy home?" thing wasn't something Aliana wanted to experience again. It'd been more than difficult the first time around - she couldn't imagine how it would be this time. The moment the doors opened to the ground floor, she walked out towards where a car had been waiting for her. She gave the driver the location she was visiting and he set about taking her there.

Throughout her journey, she tried to calm herself down. Syd and Adam didn't deserve the frustration and annoyance that had been built up. Pinching the bridge of her nose in thought, she tried to instead focus on the things Conor asked her to relay. Checking on Benjie and seeing how he was doing was the main one. Focusing on the task at hand had helped her get rid of the frustration, but the annoyance seemed to remain. Maybe she was hangry. Luckily, Syd had kids, and with kids came snacks; snacks that were about to be devoured by the time she reached her nephew's home. The drive hadn't taken that long and once outside the guards checked to make sure she was good to go. They'd been thorough at checking the car and everything, causing Ali to snap at them about how she wasn't a danger to her family. They were just doing their jobs, of course, but Ali had no desire to be patted down. After being checked she was allowed to enter the house. "Syd? Adam?" She called out, looking for the two men in question.

Michelle ( BasDorcha ) Edwards ( BloodThunder27 ) Syd ( Pyroclast ) Adam ( Misty Gray )

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Erik's Place
~ Hackney, London ~
​

It was no secret between Billy and Erik the latter's tendency to hide his emotions. Shoving them down, swallowing them, and pretending they don't exist was his specialty. And Erik knew Billy was able to see right through him. How or when he had been able to do such a thing was lost on him. However, it had been a reason why Erik had fallen in love with Billy, to begin with. No one was able to see through the bullshit that Erik Snowden fed them. And even if it had taken Billy a while to do so, he still had managed. The fact that he was so willing to not push him to spill when he didn't want to talk about it wasn't lost to Erik either. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile at the realization of it and he couldn't help but let it grow into a smile. Billy then suggested they could discuss how they were going to tell them at another time. Erik just nodded his head in agreement, tapping his fingers on the table. "That's fine with me. Bit too much of an emotional day, don't ya think?"

In the majority of the 'relationships' Erik found himself in, they were always filled with broken promises. Guys that told him they were going to finally accept themselves and come out of the closet. And whenever Erik expected it to happen they would disappoint him by gaslighting him and making him seem like he were crazy. Erik understood the nature of the world and the way society viewed anyone who was different or stepped out of their norms. It was difficult to deal with and he'd been on the receiving end of the abuse for years now. When asked, "Why would you put yourself through something like that," Erik would simply tell them that life was short. That he wanted to live his life as unapologetically as possible. And sure, this way of thinking stressed out his cousin and had been lost on others but he could never bring himself to be or act differently. He was who he was and that was never going to change.

But with Billy things were different. Though it was forced and definitely not when they wanted it, he'd already come out to his loved ones and accepted who he was. Or at least, was starting to. Which was good enough for Erik right now. Being asked to officiate their relationship was big and more important to Erik than Billy could ever know and understand. He hadn't told him about his past outside of a few things about Roger and being beat up, so how could he? But that wasn't on his mind right now. What was on his mind was Billy and returning his kiss. Billy muttered his 'I love yous' and Erik just smiled, finding himself responding in kind - seriously, for once. "I love you too," he whispered, listening to him giggle. He then suggested they stayed in for the night instead of going out, breaking their kiss. Though Erik had been looking forward to dancing and drinking the night away, Billy's question had changed everything.

Instead, he looked down at Billy with a suggestive look in his eyes. One that his boyfriend seemed to share the moment his hands started to travel down his chest. Erik watched with a curious eye before looking back up at Billy. "I think I can come up with a couple of different things for us to do that involve a shit ton of fun," he said, leaning down inches away from Billy's lips. "That is if you can keep up."

Billy ( Pyroclast )

 

[Misty Gray]

Spencer and Shona Kings Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

Spencer had been relieved that Bruce seemed to have taken it well that he'd punched him first. Despite his uncle's casual, humorous comments about the punch, Spencer still had to force himself not to feel bad about it. Regardless, Spencer had managed to smirk back at Bruce's praise for going for the jaw. The conversation had calmed and moved on to his uncle reassuring him about Shona and that he wasn't like Trevor. Spencer took the older man's comments on board and made a mental note to talk to Bruce if he had any doubts of that nature in the future. It was difficult to believe that he and Bruce hadn't spoke for over a week and things had then escalated into a fight. It already seemed silly now, as the two of them spoke and realised they were going through the same issues; something they should work together to get through.

After Bruce's insistence that they should start talking more, Spencer nodded his head in agreement. He never wanted to burden his brothers and Harper with too many of his problems, always feelings like he had to be the strong one who maintained a stoic front at all times. To know he could lean on Bruce to hear him out came as something of a relief. In his bid to prove himself to his uncle over the years, Spencer had often felt like he had to appear strong and in control around the older man to avoid showing weakness. Now, he felt like they had a mutual understanding, that he could open up more with Bruce. "I'm on board with that, Bruce. Likewise, I'd appreciate if you want to be more open with me too. Anything to avoid more tiffs," he lightly remarked, instinctively massaging the area around his eye-socket where Bruce had hit him.

When the subject had inevitably moved on to Trevor after a while, Spencer looked his uncle in the eyes as the man assured him of what he'd do to the man if he didn't stay away from Harper. "As soon as we've told May, we can see about making sure the bastard is gone. With or without her. Dead or alive," he darkly remarked. "I just wish I could get rid of the niggling feeling that he must have something up his sleeve to just boldly waltz back into our lives. I'm not sure I'd have held back on slitting his throat if I hadn't had them doubts holding me back."

Spencer had managed a laugh when Bruce found amusement in him asking if he could come back. It had seemed like a genuine question as he'd asked it, but his uncle's amused reaction quickly put things back into perspective. Bruce still wanted him around and he made it clear the firm needed him there too. With their conversation brought to an end, the two of them finally acknowledged they both needed to tend to their respective battle wounds. Thankfully, being in a pub meant there was plenty of ice for them to use to deal with their bruised faces. Spencer's bruising had only just started to go down from his fight with Conor, but now a fresh bruise was already forming around his eye.

Spencer eventually left the pub, giving Christian and May no more than an acknowledging nod as he passed their table. It had felt strange to walk by someone who he'd just learned was his half-sister, especially as he wasn't typically a man to avoid a situation or confrontation. In this case, it wasn't right to do anything without Harper learning the truth too. Besides, he was sure the fresh bruising from his altercation with Bruce would distract the pair enough for now.

As he walked home, Spencer was able to finally focus enough to process the other revelation of the day - that he'd not only learned that Billy was gay, but also that he and Erik were together. It didn't change the way he felt towards his youngest brother, but having never had any homosexual friends or family members before now, Spencer was wondering how much of his own attitude he would need to change. He wondered what Billy had thought about him the times he'd used slang terms and jokingly teased him about fancying blokes when he hadn't even known the truth. Despite having those reservations, they weren't the greatest of Spencer's concerns. What did worry him was how dangerous it could be if the wrong people saw Billy and Erik together - strangers who harboured homophobic views and would react violently. Not only that, there was the matter of how business associates might respond. In particular, Spencer was aware of just how old-fashioned and bigoted Gabriel Moretti was. How would such a revelation affect the deal between the Kings and the Italians?

When Spencer got home, he first unlocked the utility cupboard so he could securely store away his gun in it's hiding place out of reach of curious minds. After hanging his coat on the hook in the hallway, he made his way into the lounge where he'd heard his wife's voice. Stopping in the doorway, Spencer observed Shona on the sofa as she cradled Eddie in her arms. After a sheepish smile, he stepped further into the room and crouched down in front of his wife and son. "I'll put him to bed," he softly told her, aware it was time for their baby to sleep for the night. Spencer stood up and reached out to take Eddie from Shona. He held his son close to his chest, lightly rocking him before placing a gentle kiss on the top of the boy's head. "Hey, little guy. Daddy's home now," he assured him, though the way Spencer's focus moved to meet Shona's eyes would make it clear he was telling her he was back for her too.

Once he'd put Eddie down in his cot for the night, Spencer went into the kitchen and put the the kettle on. After pottering around for a few more minutes, he returned to the lounge with two cups of tea. He placed them down on the coffee table before sitting next to Shona. He turned in his seat to face her and was about to apologise when the throbbing pain around his eye reminded him that she'd likely seen the fresh bruising on his face. "This ain't what it looks like. I mean, I have been smacked, but it wasn't a fight. Not a fight-fight," he began to explain, figuring the first assumption would be along the lines of him being involved in a drunken pub brawl. "Bruce did this one. Not before I smacked him though." Realising that probably did nothing to ease any tension, he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a dry chuckle at the absurdity of it all. "We had words, but we've cleared the air. Bruce and me, we're all good now. We've sorted our shit out."

Lowering his hand away from his face, he looked up to make eye-contact with Shona. "I'm sorry, Shona. I've been an absolute dickhead this last week and you an' Eddie don't deserve that. I promise I won't let you down again, babe. My head was all over the place and I went about dealing with it the wrong way. I've been a piece of shit leaving you to cope here on your own, but I won't pull that crap again. I'm nothing like Trevor and I shouldn't have let his presence fuck with me like this. What's a bloke gotta do to make it up to you, love?" he asked, flashing her a smile.

Pyroclast (Bruce, Shona)

 

[Pyroclast]

Spencer and Shona King's Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Shona King​

It was turning out to be another quiet day for Shona - or as quiet as a day could get with a newborn baby. Now that Eddie was a month old, she had started to take him out for walks to introduce him to the world. He already seemed like a curious boy - or maybe she was just keen to show him new things - and people would frequently compliment her on how cute he was. Shona was naturally maternal, but that didn’t make parenting easy; the daily frustrations and soreness, the general sleeplessness, body dysmorphia and lack of sex all contributed to poor mental and physical well-being, both of which she had been struggling to maintain. So to go out and have people fuss over little Eddie helped remind her that it was all worth it.

However, as difficult as the last few weeks had been - particularly given the mood Spencer had been in - all the time she was spending with Eddie was at least helping her figure out a routine. By now, housework was no longer completely neglected, and she managed to do little bits each day. Eddie was sleeping a little more, had finally learned to latch during breastfeeding and continued to melt her heart with his big blue eyes.

Though quiet, today had been a positive day, with minimal stress. After doing some chores and feeding the baby, Shona was settled on the sofa with Eddie in her arms, and was reading aloud to him. It was making her sleepy, but Eddie stubbornly remained awake, gazing up at her with his huge twinkling eyes. When she heard the front door unlock, she stopped reading and looked down at her son. “Who’s that, Eddie?” she asked softly. “Is that Daddy? Is Daddy home?”

Spencer had been through a lot lately and while Shona sympathised, she had to wonder what sort of mood he would be in every time he walked through the door. Regardless of how his day had gone, she wasn’t in the mood for another argument and she hoped that Eddie’s content mood would help keep the atmosphere between them calm.

However, the moment her husband stepped through the doorway, her smile fell. It could have been the dim lighting, but she swore his bruised eye was looking darker and more swollen. It had been on its way to becoming fully healed and now it looked…fresh. Aware that Edward was gazing up at her, she put her smile back on and looked down at him. “Look who’s back!” she cooed, trying to point him in Spencer’s direction - but his eyes remained firmly locked on her, right up until Spencer took him out of her arms and spoke to him in his soft, deep voice. He told Shona he would put him to bed and she nodded, before smiling and waving at the boy. “Goodnight, Eddie! Mummy loves you!”

Once she was alone, Shona put a hand to her head and took a deep breath. Spencer seemed calm but he had clearly got into some sort of trouble. While he bustled about in the kitchen making a pot of tea, Shona just sat there and waited, trying to stop her imagination from coming up with possible scenarios as to how he had got hurt. Eventually he came through with cups of tea and sat beside her. At least he seemed ready for a conversation rather than an argument.

She turned to him with a sigh but before she could say anything, he assured her that he hadn’t got into a proper fight. It all sounded like soft-pedalling until he told her that it was Bruce who had hurt him. Instantly her impatience fell away, and her heart swelled, worried about the apparent fractures in his relationship with his uncle. Even when he admitted to throwing the first punch she still didn’t get mad, too concerned to be angry. “Spencer, what’s gonna happen to you two?” she asked, placing a hand on his thigh. But he just let out a chuckle, and then told her that it had all been cleared up. He didn’t seem worried about it, which made her feel better.

As soon as he lowered his hand from his face, she placed a hand on his uninjured cheek and guided him to look directly at her so she could get a good look at his bruise. All her frustration had subsided and she just wanted to make him feel better now. Shifting in her seat to be fully facing him, she moved in closer and held his head in her hands as she examined him, and he began to apologise to her, acknowledging everything he had done wrong and finally asking her how he could make it up to her.

“It really wasn’t like you, Spence,” she reflected. “I know seein’ him back here was a shock but you should be able to talk to me about this stuff. It’s not like I’m a stranger to shitty dads - I ain’t seen mine in 18 years and if he came back suddenly I’d be freakin' out, too. But I could have told you you’re nothin' like Trevor, Spencer. It’s why I married you…because you were the man who finally broke the cycle of abusive partners I’d had. You were the first man in my life who didn’t neglect me, or hit me, or manipulate me or cheat on me. You’re the man I can rely on and trust to keep me and our family safe.”

Gently stroking his face with her thumbs, she leaned in to place a kiss on his lips. But when she pulled away again, her smile faltered. “When you disappeared on me…I had a flicker of doubt. You know, that maybe I’d got it wrong, that it was impossible for someone like me, with the father that I had, to end up with a guy who wouldn’t hurt me.” Shona took her hands away and leaned back on the couch, her eyes glazing over with tears. “It was stupid of me to even think it, and I’m sorry I did,” she uttered under her breath. “It just really wasn’t like you, Spencer.”

She looked back up at him once again and took his hand in hers. “But anyway…I don’t really need an apology. I just want your word that you won’t shut me out again. I’m your wife, Spencer, and I’m a strong fucking woman - part of a marriage is to share burdens, and as long as I’m here, you never have to handle anything alone. So just talk to me next time, okay?” She brought her hand up to his cheek again. “I’m here for you.”

Shona moved in to kiss him again, but this time she held it for longer. It was only the realisation that she was dressed in unwashed clothes and had gained some weight since they last had any proper action that made her pull away again, and she dropped eye contact, instead letting her gaze settle on the steaming cup of tea Spencer had made for her. “There is somethin’ you could do to make it up to me,” she uttered. “I mean, on top of talkin’ to me more and bein’ here more…” She chewed on her lip as she figured out how to say it, and she looked down to where their hands were, letting her fingers idly play with his. Eventually, she lifted her head again and met his gaze with hers. “Make me feel sexy again?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Spencer

 

[Misty Gray]

Spencer and Shona Kings Home
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Spencer King​

Even though Spencer had learned to deal with his own physical and mental pain from a young age, it still felt reassuring to have Shona place her hand to his cheek and show concern for his bruising. He could handle the physical pain, with his injured ribs continuing to cause his frequent discomfort now, especially given his refusal to take any painkillers that would be strong enough to ease the pain. But the kind of comfort Shona's presence and concern gave him was something he couldn't do for himself. Since his mother's death, he hadn't let anyone get close enough to show him a personal level of concern. He'd been married to Letitia for almost four years, but in all that time, she'd been more inclined to complain and berate him for returning home from a fight; more concerned that her parents and her friends would judge him as a thug. The less he thought about his ex, the better. She had been a mistake, perhaps a misguided attempt to make himself appear a respectable man whilst believing Letitia could have loved him for who he truly was. In some ways, he'd managed to let Letitia be the manipulative one in their relationship. He'd soon come to realise he was only happy being his true self, and he believed he'd now finally found a woman who loved him for who really he was.

Spencer listened without interruption as Shona spoke, pointing out how out of character is recent behaviour had been. She knew Trevor's return had messed him up, but she also reminded him that she knew all two well about bad father's from her own experience. He nodded in agreement when she pointed out he could have talked to her about it, that she would have understood. Hearing her reminder that he had broken the cycle of her being with abusive men, he briefly displayed a soft yet sad smile. He was glad he'd been where he had the night they'd met and that he'd been able to help her get away from her abusive ex. Whilst he was sure any decent man would treat a woman the way he treated Shona, Spencer also knew part of the reason for the man he'd become was through witnessing Trevor with Laura and from that learning exactly how not to behave with women. Spencer had witnessed his own father neglect, manipulate, and cheat on his mother. Whilst he'd never seen Trevor physically harm Laura, Spencer couldn't be entirely sure if that would have been the case had he not been the one on the receiving end of his father's temper and heavy hand. At times, Spencer was sure he'd got himself in trouble just so his father could let his temper out on him rather than it ever reaching his mother. Regardless, Spencer saw a lot of Trevor in the men Shona had told him she'd dated in the past. He was glad they had found each other now and that he could be the one to break the cycle Shona had found herself trapped in with the men before him.

Despite knowing deep down he was different, when Shona told him she'd had a flicker of doubt during his absence, he couldn't fault her for it. He'd had the same fleeting doubts himself over the last week. "I'd never hurt you, Shona," he gently assured her as she took her hands away from his face and leaned back. "It wasn't like me and I'm pissed off with myself for making you feel that way. I'm annoyed I let it all get to me enough for me to mess you about like I did," he admitted to her. He glanced away for a brief moment before looking back to her. "But if you do have any doubt about us or about me. Anything. You can't ignore it. We've been together for a year and we got married after just a few months. Married seven months now... What I'm saying is, my mum and Trevor did things fast too, probably not even as fast as we have. Now, I know I'm nothing like that selfish bastard and I love you an' Eddie more than anything in the world. I'm not going to repeat the path of my parents, but any doubts you ever get, you have to tell me, Shona. And if you can't tell me, tell someone. Bruce, Darcey, anyone. I don't believe I'm like Trevor, but I share the same blood as that bastard and I believe in some ways, that man has to be part delusional to think he was ever doing anything right."

Spencer gently squeezed Shona's hands when she took hold of his again. "I promise I won't shut you out again, babe. And I know you're strong, it's one of the many things I love about you. I had a moment of being a complete moron, but I'm back now, and I won't shut you out in the future. I promise," he firmly assured her.

When his wife moved in to kiss him, Spencer also leaned forward, placing his hand against the side of her face as he returned the gesture. As much as he enjoyed being close to her again after the last week, something didn't feel right when she pulled away from the gesture. When she broke eye-contact with him, he instantly wondered if her doubts were catching up with her and she really wasn't happy with him for what he'd done. When she told him there was something he could do to make it up to her, he quickly nodded his head, the look on his face reflecting how serious he was about doing so. However, when she finally told him that she wanted him to make her feel sexy again, he realised it wasn't about himself and his own insecurities now. He gently rubbed her hands this his thumbs before moving to hold them and give a gentle squeeze. "Shona, you are sexy..." he began, but stopped himself as he realised what she had actually said. She didn't just want him to tell her she was sexy, but she needed to feel that way too. Letting go of her hands, Spencer placed his hands to her face and gently stroked her cheeks with his thumbs before suddenly leaning in to passionately kiss her. Eventually breaking away from the kiss, he kept his hands holding her face as he looked her in the eyes. Studying her face for a time, he mischievously smiled at her. "Come with me and I'll show you!" he playfully told her.

Spencer stood up from the sofa and took Shona's hands, pulling her up to her feet before releasing one of her hands so he could turn towards the door. Keeping hold of one of her hands, he lead her up the stairs to their bedroom. They'd barely stepped into the room when Spencer pushed Shona so her back was against the wall. Between passionately kissing her again, he broke off to pull his shirt off over his head and toss it onto the bedroom floor. After kissing her for a few seconds more, he took both of her hands as he backstepped towards the end of their bed. Spencer kept hold of her hands for a moment as he gently rested his forehead against hers. They hadn't been intimate for some time and hadn't had sex in months, so he took the brief moment to allow Shona to say if she wasn't ready for that to change yet. Confident in his next actions, he released her hands and ran his own down the side of her body before reaching the hem of her top. He carefully pulled Shona's shirt up and over her head, taking it off so she was left with only her bra covering her upper body. He once again ran his his fingertips down her body as he sat himself down on the end of the bed. Looking up at his wife's face for a moment, he then studied her her body for a time, letting his hands rest just above the waistband of her trousers. "You're fucking gorgeous, babe," he seriously assured her. After looking back up to her face again he flashed a flirtatious smile before pulling down her trousers and helping her to step out of them. Standing back up, he rested his hands on her waist before leading her to the side of the bed. He placed a series of soft kisses on her neck then brought his lips up to her ear. "I'll make you feel sexy again," he seductively whispered to her as he reached down to unfasten his his trousers.

Pyroclast (Shona)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Training Area
~Dublin, Ireland~

Leo Sullivan

Hearing Tom give his reasoning behind not sharing what he knew, Leo felt bad about his previous behavior. Between the attacks on his family and everything after none of them truly had a chance to just download. There really wasn't a chance for the guy to start getting to know his family or even mention it. "Sister? So, there are two of you then." He said, eyebrows raised. "Or, I'm assuming. Where does your sister live then? She here in Dublin too?" He couldn't remember if he'd met any other female besides Elena for the first time recently. Seeing as she was dating his cousin it was easy enough to rule her out. For now, he thought about how the information would go over once his parents and possibly everyone else were told. "Ah, well. Nothing in this family is ever easy or simple so you being a part of the family and none of us knowing who you are tracks."

The fact that his father and uncle hadn't talked much since the latter's release was a shock. Leo figured if anything the two would be catching up on missed time. Seemed like his cousin wasn't the only one having issues with James and Leo just internally shook his head. If there was one thing about his family it was how dramatic they all were. They'd still have drama within even without outside forces starting shit. Instead of bringing attention to it and asking about the situation, Leo decided to leave it. It wasn't his business and considering he and Thomas just got over the difficulty in their relationship he didn't feel as if he even could. Instead, he turned his attention back to his uncle when he started to give advice.

Leo knew very little when it came to the history of his family. Whether it be because he was a kid and didn't pay attention when he was told or because no one ever went into detail, there was a lot he didn't know. Especially the part where Michelle was related to a former enemy of his family. The moment James mentioned making a tough call to end things, Leo figured that meant killing off his half-sister's family. He couldn't imagine what could've happened had it been his father making such a call and luckily he didn't have to. Leo continued to listen intently, nodding his head in understanding every so often. It sounded like everything was about timing. And the fact that he didn't have to rush something like this was important. James had calmed that shouting voice in his head, though he'd also solidified his decision. Letting hot a heavy sigh, Leo rested his chin in the palm of his hand. "Right... Well Uncle J, you really know how to put things into perspective," he said, a soft smile on his face. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

​

James ( Misty Gray ) Tom ( BasDorcha )

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Trevor's Apartment
~ Islington, London ~​

Harper listened intently as her father stated that he still attended meetings in Islington from time to time, just to keep up on his problem and make sure he was on the right track. Harper wouldn’t dare share her own struggles because she was really still in a state of denial. Years and Years of torment from kids at school and in her neighborhood had conditioned her into never ending up they way they said she would. A drug addict. Now, here she was baring the weight of such an illness and failing…she couldn’t tell anyone. She couldn’t let them be right and she wouldn’t concern her family with her addiction while they were already dealing with so much. She didn’t think she needed the help, she could get through it on her own. She would continue to tell herself that and manifest it until it became true. Or at least, Harper wanted to believe that’s what would help her.

Watching as Trevor pinched the bridge of his nose at the question of her mother’s addiction, he removed his hand and shook his head. Laura hadn’t sought help while she was with him. He then clarified that him and her mother didn’t think they needed help and Harper’s heart sank. His thought process of feeling like he had some control over it was the exact same thoughts she had been having. Hearing about the dynamic of the relationship made her feel uncomfortable, so much so that she shifted in her seat as if she was going to stand up. Her mother didn’t think anything was wrong with her addiction because she trusted the man she was in love with — the man that was sitting before her. Tears pricked at her eyes and she forced herself to look down at her lap, not wanting him to see the way this story was affecting her.

Harper didn’t have anyone supplying her with drugs beside her doctors…but she trusted them at the time and it was enough to get her hooked. Part of her wanted to motivate herself to go to a meeting like her father had…to seek help, but she wanted to do it privately. That was nearly impossible with her family’s men practically breathing down her neck. She couldn’t trust Jeremy to keep that kind of secret…or at least she thought she couldn’t. He was too close with her brothers to be able to keep such a secret…she was sure that if she couldn’t successfully sneak back into her own place he’d tattle on her in a heartbeat.

Hearing her father come to the conclusion that her mother never sought help seemed accurate to her, Harper had been affected heavily by her mothers drug abuse at the time of her birth, being severely underweight with a number of medical issues as an infant. She had made a full recovery — despite her mother losing her battle — and she had been relatively health up until this point in her life.

Trevor admitted that her Uncle and brothers were right to blame him for her mother’s death and Harper wasn’t sure how to take it. While it was all true that her mother had overdosed — the circumstances didn’t necessarily point to blaming the man sitting in front of her. It was easier to blame him, of course. She couldn’t imagine what her Uncle and brothers had to face losing their mother at the time and blaming Trevor had been something that kept them sane. But the way Harper was seeing it, as someone who’d never knew the kind of person her mother was…it seemed like Laura was unhappy with the cards she had been dealt in life. Trevor leaving was most likely the tipping point but even if he hadn’t left…it could have happened regardless.

Perhaps this rational way of thinking came from the fact that she still — on some level, blamed herself for her mothers death. But she wouldn’t vocalize that either as she sat before her father, instead, staying silent. Harper looked at Trevor as he sat back in his seat, his position open as if he was letting her choose if she wanted to walk out the front door. Moving to wipe at the bottom of her eyes, Trevor apologized for not telling her something more positive. He stated that he had lied a lot in his life but he couldn’t lie about Laura to her. He once again blamed himself and Harper shook her head this time, shaking it even harder as he stated that he didn’t blame Bruce or her brothers for what they had done to him.

"Everyone has a choice…or at least I like to think of it that way. While I’m sure my mother was heavily influenced by you and your past behavior…she had a choice. She had a choice to get clean…and while I don’t believe she didn’t try once you left…it was already too late for her. " Harper murmured softly, "While I don’t owe you any sort of sympathy or support — I don’t think it’s entirely your fault for my mothers death. It’s just easier for people to blame someone else when in reality the person they needed to blame was the loved one they lost. It’s terrible to speak ill of the dead, though. I’m sure my mother was a wonderful woman regardless…I wish I would have been able to know her." Harper then stood with a bit of a struggle, her limbs shaking with emotion as she took a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me the truth about her…about your part in everything. It’s more than my Uncle or brothers have cared to tell me. It means a lot." With that, Harper started to hobble towards the door with a bit of effort, feeling extremely sore after that conversation.
with: Trevor Misty Gray
mentions: Jeremy BasDorcha ; Bruce Pyroclast

 

[Pyroclast]

Lucky Strike Bowling Alley
~ Dublin City Centre ~

Elena Velazco
​

Though she noticed Lucky join them, Elena was too distracted to pay attention to the dog. She had been expecting Thomas to leave with her immediately, but instead he went over to the man who had assaulted her, leaving her terrified of what he might do. “Tomás!” she called after him, but she still felt too violated to step any closer to her assailant, so she stayed with Lucky and just watched.

Elena could tell from the moment Thomas grabbed him that he was going to cause a scene. It scared her to watch, yet she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Her hands flew to her mouth when Thomas grabbed the man by the throat and shoved him backwards - but it got even worse when he pulled his pistol out and pointed it at his face. People were screaming but she could still hear Thomas yell threats at the man, and she grew worried that she had pressured him to leave the apartment before he was mentally ready. Just moments ago he had seemed okay, and now he was waving a gun around in a room full of a civilians. Feeling responsible, Elena tried to move towards him but one of the staff grabbed her arm and said to her, “We’ve called security. Stay back.”

“He doesn’t hurt me, I can help him!” she frantically replied, trying to wriggle out of the staff member’s grasp. “TOMÁS!”

But just as she managed to escape and run forward, she was cut off by a team of police officers who ran ahead of her and tackled Thomas to the ground. Elena screamed, horrified and scared that they were only going to heighten his distress and trigger a breakdown. Eventually they got him in handcuffs and began to escort him out of the building. He called out to her and she called out his name in return as she ran after him. Seeing him get thrown into the back of the police car sent tears spilling down her face and even though he told her exactly what to do - to take Lucky and go home - she just stood frozen to the spot as she watched him be driven away.

The man who had assaulted her was still inside the bowling alley and with emotions heightened, she couldn’t be sure he and friends wouldn’t come after her. Forgetting that she still had her bowling shoes on, Elena ran down the street in the vague direction of home, with Lucky running along behind her.

Interactions
Bellz Thomas

 

[Bellz]

Thomas Porter
Garda Station
~ Dublin City Center, Dublin ~​

Once they had finished booking him, the officers who had responded to the scene threw Thomas into an empty holding cell. He sat for a long time in silence before deciding that he wanted to use the phone call he had been allowed. "I want to use my phone call now." He told on of the cops sitting in his desk chair a few feet away from the cell. The cop ignored him at first before Thomas walked up to the cell, "I want to use my phone call, now!" He barked at him and this time the man looked up from his crossword puzzle at him. "I didn't get a please with that." The man said and Thomas glowered at him, "Please." He ground out before the cop smirked, swinging the legs that had been propped up on his desk onto the floor before moving to grab his cuffs.

***
Roxie Carriveau
Her House
~ Dollymount, Dublin ~​

Things had been a bit quiet since Roxie had told the kids about her pregnancy. After telling them, she had felt obligated to tell Matthew's parents and siblings. That had gone over better than she thought it would. Collectively they had all decided it would be best to avoid the court system all together. Roxie agreed to a custody type situation where the baby would be permitted to spend time with Matthew's family on the weekends as well as holidays every other year. As long as she didn't withhold her from Matthew's family they agreed not to file for custody in court. Roxie didn't have any desire to withhold the baby from them so she felt this arrangement wouldn't be a problem in the slightest. With the kids hanging out with friends, Roxie had been left in her house alone -- wanting Reina to keep an eye on them while they were out.

Currently, she had been in her office looking over documents of all the people who were currently employed within her family's business. Roxie had been stewing on telling Gabe everything her cousin had done...not just to her but to him as well. But she wasn't sure if she owed the man any of her honesty...

She wanted to make one last trip to New York before she couldn't fly any more but with what happened to Conor, Roxie wasn't sure how safe that was now. Things were getting too tense to go anywhere at least until after she had the baby. Her hand reached to settle on her stomach for a moment in thought when her phone rang. Roxie hesitated to pick it up, her breath catching in her throat as she wondered who it could be or what had happened.

Picking it up a second later, she muttered a hello into the phone and was surprised to hear Thomas's voice on the other end. "Thomas? What's wrong? Everything alright?" She asked, hearing the emotion in his voice. He told her that he'd fucked up and got arrested, he didn't want to call his family and risk them getting caught up in his shit when they had so much to deal with already. He said he wasn't sure how he could get out of this and Roxie frowned deeply. "I'll be right there, okay?" she reassured him softly, "You have the right not to say anything more to them. Use it. I'm on my way." He uttered a thanks before hanging up and Roxie quickly placed her phone back down on the receiver.

She was aware Syd was taking care of stuff that pertained to what happened to Conor with some others but she felt the urge to call him. Roxie knew he didn't appreciate when she was dishonest with him but Thomas had explicitly called her to avoid telling his family. Lucy and James were out of the question in calling.

Biting her lip, she stood up from her desk and walked out of the office to grab her purse and car keys.

***​

Roxie had arrived at the police station and was it with a sudden wave of deja vu. Shaking it off as she got out of the car, she hurried inside and asked the officer at the front desk to speak with Thomas Porter. After the officer dismissed her, Roxie narrowed his eyes, "By law, you are required to let him see his legal representation." She challenged to which the man raised a brow at her. "All right, I'll place him in the visiting room. One moment." Roxie ended up waiting about 5 minutes before the man came back and waved her to follow him. It was something she was all too familiar with. She'd been in this place one too many times to defend someone who didn't deserve it. Thomas deserved it though and she would do her best to get him out of this.

The officer opened the door for her to the visiting room and Roxie's heart immediately broke at seeing Thomas look so drained of life. His eyes were red from crying and one looked like it was starting to swell from being hit. The officer was planning on staying in the room but Roxie looked to him with a glare. "Can we get a moment alone?" She asked firmly and the officer shook his head, "For your safety-" Roxie scoffed, "I can handle myself thank you, make yourself actually useful and go grab that Sergeant of yours. I believe there has been some sort of misunderstanding here." She shooed the man away, him looking baffled at her as he was ushered out the door. Once it was closed. Roxie moved to take a seat in front of Thomas at the table watching as he slowly looked up at her.

"What happened, Thomas?" She asked gently and Thomas moved to place his cuffed hands on top of the table as he let out a shaky breath. "I pulled a gun out on this guy who was trying to touch Elena." Roxie was silent for a moment. "You didn't actually shoot at him did you?" She asked gently to which Thomas shook his head. "And he's pressing charges or is the police upholding the no brandishing law?" Thomas shrugged his shoulders and Roxie's eyes narrowed. "Did they not tell you what you were being detained for?" She asked to which Thomas shook his head, "I mean it's obvious...why would they need to tell me what I already know." Roxie smiled softly despite the gravity of the situation causing Thomas to look confused at her. "What?" He asked. "You have rights, hun. The code of conduct is something that these idiots have to live by believe it or not, reading what you've been arrested for as well as your rights is something they have to give you. Failure to do that can cause any case they build against you to be dismissed."

The wheels were already turning in her head as she thought about a strategy and before she could say anything more to him, the Sergeant opened the door to reveal himself. "Well well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes Ms. Carriveau. It's been a long time." He grumbled and Roxie offered him a tense smile. "Retirement hasn't been easy, thought I'd give this case a go since it seems to be a shoe-in." She said confidently. "He stays here. I will be meeting with him after I talk with you. A decorated war veteran like him doesn't belong in a cell, Sergeant Doyle" Roxie murmured before turning to Thomas. "I'll be back, okay?" She told him gently before Sergeant Doyle nodded his head towards the door, "Follow me." He said to which she did.

Once they were in his office, he took a good look at her. "What's a woman in your condition doing working with criminals, Ms. Carriveau? Shouldn't you be resting?" He asked and Roxie raised her brow as she moved to take a seat. "I'm not terminally ill, Doyle. I can do this work in my sleep, you should know that by now. But let's cut the crap. Thomas Porter told me that your men didn't tell him what he was being arrested for and didn't read him his rights. You and I both know that can severely jeopardize any sort of case you are trying to build against this young man. Why waste perfectly good time and resources building this case when we both know it won't hold up?" She asked and Doyle looked at her intensely. "You are a smart woman, Roxanne." Roxie kept a straight face despite wanting to grimace at the fact that he called her by her full name. Gabriel Moretti and her father were the only men to do so, both equally pieces of shit. "Smart enough to know that just by his last name alone, we have a big enough case to lock him up for as long as we want." Roxie let out a short laugh, "And you don't think that I would be able to use that against you." She asked to which the Sergeant smirked, "Oh, I know you will. But you see, Ms. Carriveau...while your tactic to keep the Sullivan and Porter men off the streets is to sleep with them, mine is to make sure they are locked up for good. You representing the brother of the man you had a relationship with is a deep conflict of interest and I know for a fact that just as you had tried to defend Syd Porter all those years ago, you won't be allowed to defend Thomas Porter either."

Roxie ground her teeth in frustration, wanting to tell the man before her off but also knowing that Thomas's life hung in the balance. Most of the criminal defense lawyers in this town were in deep with the police departments here, they made more money off of tanking a case rather than defending their client like they were supposed to. At one point, Roxie had done the same for a handful of cases. Which reminded her that she had been owed favors that she had never acted upon when she was working.

"You know, you hold most of the lawyers in this town in a vice grip. Most people wouldn't bat an eye at how much your department spends, especially with the mob causing all these problems. But I like to think that the numbers speak for themselves, Doyle. I also like to think that if the reason behind those numbers were to get out...any credibility your department has with the media and the public would go out the window. You'd be a joke, you and that shit for brains Commissioner of yours." Roxie said darkly.

"I tanked a few of my cases so that you and a couple of your piggy friends could get a big bonus. You remember that don't you? I did you a favor...and favors are meant to be returned. Consider this one of the favors you can do for me to keep me silent. You let Thomas Porter go with no charges against him, or I go to the media that you've been arresting innocent people on trumped up charges and paying lawyers extra to make sure they are found guilty." Roxie said watching as Doyle's face turned as white as a ghost. "Who would believe you? You have almost no credibility anymore." He shot back to which Roxie genuinely laughed. "Clearly you aren't as smart as you think you are. The records will speak for themselves and if I need to make some witnesses squeal then I will personally see to it that they do. Guess sleeping around with the right people has its perks, huh?" She asked and Doyle was finally rendered speechless.

"You let him go or I jumpstart an entire scandal that your department won't be able to handle. You'd piss off a lot of the wrong people if they find out they've been sitting in prison while innocent this entire time." Roxie said and she watched as he fired back desperately, "They'd come after you too!" The brunette shrugged, "Now now, since when have you cared about anyone else but yourself hmm? I'll be fine, but your piggy friends won't be able to protect you. So what do you say? Wanna take the easy way out? or do I need to make a few phone calls?"

Sergeant Doyle was quiet for a few moments before slamming his fists on the table. "Fine! Get out of my sight!" He barked, standing up in his chair and pointing for her to get out. "Glad we could come to an agreement." Roxie said before doing as he asked, halfway through the door he said, "You better watch your back, Ms. Carriveau! You won't always have the mob to protect you!"

The way he said it sent a chill down her spine but in her defiance, Roxie looked at him with her chin raised, "Is that a threat?" Before he could answer she continued towards where she had left Thomas. Opening the door, she demanded that the officer watching him to uncuff him. "We gotta go." Roxie said quickly, waving Thomas along before taking his arm. "What? Just like that?!" He said in surprise and Roxie nodded her head, "They owed me a few favors. Now come on, let's get out of here." Just as they walked out the door into the main seating area of the station, Thomas stopped dead in his tracks. "Elena, Lucky! I thought I told you to go home." He stated firmly but the small smile on his face caused Roxie to raise an eyebrow.
with: Thomas @me ; Elena Pyroclast

 

[BasDorcha]

Trevor's Place
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy had laid on the couch for all of five minutes he estimated before he heard the telltale sound of metal shifting, the sound louder then normal in the quiet apartment. He had creeped to the sliding glass door, looking out in case it was danger waiting to happen, but when he saw Harper’s booted leg come into view, he let out a long slow growl.

She had used him, played him like a fool, took advantage of his emotions, and he’d let her like the fool he was all because of a kiss. Cursing himself and the devil woman he was now going to have to chase down before her uncle killed him. Making record speed to the car, he noticed there was no way she came out the front and quickly pulled the vehicle around the back. Up ahead, several vehicles away, a bus was pulling off, and he just made out Harper’s head as it did so. Mentally he noted that she was so convinced her idea had been perfect that she never even saw Jeremy following along.

I’ll need to remind her to be more aware of her surroundings. His hands gripped the wheel, and he stayed back a good lazy distance, always behind someone bigger then him as much as possible, until she final got off at a stop – in which case he pulled up past her, parked, and watched. It didn’t take long for her to find where she was going and the sick feeling in his gut was confirmed. Trevor answered the door. Did she know she was going to get him killed? Not in the sense of friends playfully telling each other they’d kill the other, but actually, genuinely killed. Either Trevor, Jeremy, or both, depending on how mad Bruce, Spencer and the rest became.

Once she was inside, Jeremy exited the car, walking down the street as if he belonged there, his leather jacked on, and his shades covering his eyes. As he neared Trevor, the guys that were parked to watch the house, already about to pull off and call the boss, saw Jeremy and stepped out. Jeremy waved to both of them, greeting them on the sidewalk.

“Gotta tell the boss, Jeremy. I can’t keep this from him.” Said Reece, one of the low level guys in the firm who was stuck on permanent babysitting duties because he was lazy. His partner nodded in agreeance and Jeremy shook his head. “No, you gotta do what you gotta do, but let me tell Bruce. It’ll be better… or worse…. Coming from me.” The look on his face was easily read as not being happy about the position he was in, or the choice that Harper had made. The guys knew Jeremy was good to his word, and if he said he was going to tell the boss, he would. They stepped aside, back to the car, and blended back into the background. Jeremy on the other hand, had other plans.

He crossed the road, right up to Trevor’s steps, and sat his arse down. He lounged on the steps chain smoking his way through cigarettes as he waited. He wasn’t going to interrupt, oh no, this was new Jeremy, letting Harper make her own choices. Never mind the fact it was going to get him unalived. Damnit, Harper. Impatiently, he continued to fussing over his seat, sitting up, then laying back, shifting to his elbows resting on his knees, to laying back. It was nerve wracking sitting back and waiting. Harper couldn’t bring her happy little self out soon enough.

Mentions Bellz - Harper
Misty Gray - Trevo
Pyroclast - Bruce

 

[BloodThunder27]

~James Edwards~

---

Overall, Edwards had enjoyed his conversation with Michelle and he felt more relaxed even after it had ended. Being on guard duty was a little nerve-wracking if he was being honest, mainly because of Conor's position and where he stood within Dublin's underworld. Then again, it could just be newbie anxiety getting him again, just like how it did back in the military. His heart dropped a bit when he saw Aliana's face scrunch up as soon as he said 'Ma'am'.

"Oof. Despite that being a respect thing it never gets easy to hear."

"You don't have to call me ma'am."

"Makes me feel old and I just got over it."

Well, she wasn't wrong, it was a respect thing and that was what he was taught as a young boy, to almost always say 'sir' or 'ma'am' when speaking to someone, which was only further cemented when he entered the military. "My apologies, Mrs. Sullivan. Nonetheless, you're right though, it is a respect thing and that was what I was taught as a child and it followed me into adulthood, especially after I enlisted into the Military fourteen years ago."

"You and me both. I require at least a month in between dramatic events."

Aliana did also seem to agree when he said he hoped there would be no more trouble. Sadly, he doubted that there would be any peace between now and the next week or two. Sure, life in the Mob was eventful, but sometimes it was overwhelming if there was no room to breathe between everything that was happening.

Soon the two women stepped aside and a little further out of earshot, making impossible for him to make out what they were saying. However, he decided against stepping closer as he was still on guard duty, which meant he had to stay close to the door, making sure that no one stepped into the room unless it was a member of the family, flesh and blood or member of the mob alike. The only people he tried not to hassle were the Doctors and Nurses. While they were just doing their job and taking care of Conor, not to mention someone could easily disguise themselves as a Doctor or a Nurse to bypass the guards and assassinate Conor quietly. Thankfully, there was no chance of someone sneaking in through the window, as he had heard Aliana mention that the blinds were shut to keep the light out of Conor's eyes, meaning that whoever tried to look in through the windows would not be able to track Conor from the outside. As his train of thought sped up, Edwards quietly checked his watch. Dermot had been gone for a while now, and hopefully would not be much longer. Unless that was a long list of calls that he had to make, in which case he'd understand.

Looking back up and towards Aliana and Michelle, he had noticed that they were sitting in the lounging area further away from him. Quietly he continued to observe. Since they weren't exactly whispering, he proceeded to keep an eye on the two. Multitasking soon became more of a pain as he also had to keep tabs on the door and making sure that no one got passed without his approval. Though so far, no nurses or doctors have stopped by yet, so he wasn't too worried. The tone in both Michelle and Aliana's voices did put him on edge a bit though, which led him to wonder about the relationship between them. Although Conor was her Father, Michelle didn't look anything like Aliana, so it didn't take a genius to conclude that Michelle was a child from a previous relationship before he met Aliana. Of course as soon as this crossed his mind, Michelle's tone became a little more aggressive, but he still couldn't make out what she was saying, or what Aliana was saying for that matter. He then took a few steps closer in the event that he'd have to separate the two women as he was now expecting a potential fight. Sadly, now he could hear most of what they were talking about. Quickly, he peered back at the door only to see a Doctor walk by, but not reach for the door handle.

“Ali, what I meant to say is, I’m sorry. It doesn’t matter who is at fault, nothing will ever be changed, not that I would change it now, and I shouldn’t be taking out my bad mood on those around me. Its not your fault my father was in love with you. Its not his fault you came along and made him fall in love. Its not my mother’s fault he chose someone else. Its not his fault he didn’t love her. I just want to go back to how things were.”

Was Michelle upset about how Conor chose Aliana over her Mother? Oh dear...This could take a bad turn relatively easily, so he kept an eye on both women as he took a few steps back to go back to guard the door. He would then flinch as Aliana raised her voice.

"Oh for crying out. You clearly don't understand and I'm not going to have this conversation again with a child. Your parents weren't together when Conor and I met, so quit blaming me for their failed relationship. I won't continue to be the scapegoat just because you're going through the same things she did."

Well that was a bit of a low-blow, wasn't it? What the hell happened back then? While Edwards was curious, he was, honestly, too afraid to ask. Mainly because it was not his place and none of his business. If there's anything he learned living in America, it was mind your own damn business and curiosity (sometimes - emphasis on the sometimes) kill the cat. Figuratively and literally.

"I can't deal with this, I have to go. Just...Just spend time with your father."

Soon, Aliana, whose mood had completely changed by this point, started walking towards him and then stopping right in front of him. The look in her eyes made his blood run cold...real cold. Like...Colder then Alaska.

"Let me know when or if she leaves so I can come back, alright?"

Before Edwards even open his mouth, Aliana walked away relatively quickly, leaving only him and Michelle in the room, save a few doctors, nurses and other visitors passing by. Paying no mind to them, he turned his attention to Michelle. "So...You wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?" He asked calmly. "And I know its not my place to ask, but my curiosity is kinda getting the better of me at the moment." He acknowledged, even though about ten seconds ago, he said to himself that he would not ask...but did so anyway.

---

Interactions: Aliana Sullivan Melanin-Gxdess | Michelle Romano BasDorcha
Mentions: Conor Sullivan Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Trevor's House
~ Islington, London ~

Trevor Stewart​

Trevor was surprised to see Harper shake her head when he told her Laura's downfall and death was his fault. It seemed like she was the only person who didn't explicitly blame him for the woman's death. Not only that, she seemed to disagree with her uncle and brothers being in the right treating Trevor the way they had done. In that moment, he felt torn. He was vocally accepting responsibility for his part in Laura's death but his daughter wasn't agreeing. Having someone not blame him, especially his daughter, was a good feeling. He wanted to get to know his daughter, along with anyone else who would let him in. On the other hand, he knew how dangerous it was for himself if he didn't deter her and push her away.

Trevor listened as Harper told him everyone had a choice, including Laura. He subtly nodded at her reasoning. Whilst he believed Laura had been old enough to make her own decisions at the time, he wasn't sure if she'd have found herself addicted to drugs had she not been introduced to the lifestyle through him. Of course, he didn't force her into the hedonism they shared in the early stages of their relationship, but she was somewhat naïve and perhaps he shouldn't have taken advantage of that. "I could've helped her," he quietly told Harper. He'd spent most of his life denying responsibility for what had happened, until he had recently began to acknowledge how selfish and manipulative his behaviour had been. He appreciated Harper being the first to say Laura was also responsible for her own downfall, but he couldn't pretend he couldn't have helped her and been a better husband.

Hearing Harper say she wished she'd been able to know Laura caused a lump to form in Trevor's throat before he let out a sigh. "I don't doubt she adored you the way she did your brothers--" He stopped as Harper struggled to get up. He rushed to his feet and was ready to help her if she needed him to. She managed to get up without his help and thanked him for telling the truth; giving him more than Bruce and her brothers had. "I'm sure they all just think they're protecting you, but I think you're old enough to know the truth already."

As his daughter hobbled towards the door, Trevor was quick to retrieve his wallet from the jacket he had draped over the back of the sofa. He rushed to catch up to Harper so he could open the door for her. "It's not a good idea for me to give you a lift home in my car," he told her, knowing him driving into the middle of King territory was asking for more trouble than he was already in. He grabbed the door handle to pull it open, making sure she knew he wasn't stopping her from leaving or making her own plans to get home. "But I can pay for you a taxi ho--" Trevor fell silent as he saw the younger man seemingly loitering on his doorstep. "Or maybe you already have a ride home," he trailed off, stepping aside so Harper could pass him and leave. Trevor fixed his eyes on Jeremy to see what the man's next move was. He already knew he'd be in the shit for speaking with Harper again, he just wasn't sure whether it was to be in that moment or later. He took a moment to determine if he was clear to close his front door and return into his house for now.

Bellz (Harper) BasDorcha (Jeremy)

 

[Misty Gray]

Cormac Sweeney's House
~ North Strand, Dublin ~

Adam Harper and Cormac Sweeney​

Adam had remained vigilant, hand ready at his holstered gun, as Cormac led him and Syd into the garage. Seeing the man chained to the iron pipe, he raised a curious eyebrow. Were it not for the interesting sight before him, he would have been relatively bored by the Sweeney brother's assertion his gang were keeping to their part of the agreement with the Sullivans. He'd heard it all before and with nothing to show for it, it meant little to Adam. Granted, Seamus, the eldest of the Sweeneys, had already been doing his part to prove loyalty to the Sullivans. Up until now, Cormac had seemed to be more of the peacemaker type, burdened with having to clean up Phelan's messes but offering nothing else Adam could use from him.

Adam crouched down in front of the tied up man, listening with growing interesting as Cormac explained he'd been picked up at the docks the night Aidan was killed. It turned out the exhausted man before him was one of the Kings' employees who had been shooting at James and the others at the Docks. Whilst the man was a good find on Cormac's part, he held no importance to Adam. He was likely low on the Kings' food chain and had nothing to offer the Sullivans. Standing back up, Adam flashed Cormac a smile and nodded in approval at the man's words. "Yes, we are a busy pair of lads, especially when we've got Cockney fuckers creating a mess all over Dublin," he said, raising his voice for the Londoner's benefit.

After pulling Syd to one side to have a quiet word and confirm they were in agreement with his next move, Adam turned back to face Cormac. "You can call this a peace offering, if you want," Adam began, pointing to the man on the floor. He then began to look around the garage, opening various drawers in the tool chest before eventually fixing his eyes on some bunched up rope on the floor. After picking it up, Adam returned to his spot, towering over the Londoner whilst looking straight on at Cormac. "We need more than peace offerings. Seamus is keen to prove your lot are loyal to the Sullivans and I believe him when he says that. He's done enough to convince me he's not only loyal to us, but also capable of doing what has to be done..." Adam tossed the rope to Cormac, the man quick to react and catch it. "Convince me of the same. Kill him," Adam commanded Cormac.

There was clear hesitation in Sweeney brother as he stared at Adam and Syd. The sound of the Londoner's muffled pleas beneath his taped up mouth got Cormac's attention. As he toyed with the roped, unravelling it and straightening it out in his hands, he heard Adam pointing out it would be a clean kill and that the Sullivans would see to it the body would be dealt with by their cleaner afterwards. A lump formed in Cormac's throat as he tried to wrap his head around the request. The more amicable and least violent of the Sweeneys, it wasn't exactly his style to go around killing people. However, the presence of Adam and Syd made it difficult to refuse, not to mention the potential of ruining it for Seamus and the others if he failed to prove his loyalty now. After further hesitation, Cormac eventually stepped behind the Londoner and wrapped the rope around the man's neck. Pulling the rope tight, Cormac stared off into the distance as he felt the other man struggling beneath his grip, frantically trying to fight it despite his hands being bound together. Cormac seemed to tighten his jaw more each time the man choked for air. He wished he'd stop trying to fight it and let it be over quickly.

Whilst Cormac hadn't been able to look at anyone as he strangled his victim, Adam stood with his eyes firmly fixed on the Londoner's face, watching as the man took his last breath before he finally stopped fighting and eventually stopped breathing altogether. Motioning for Cormac to keep holding the rope tight around the man's neck, Adam patiently waited a while longer before he finally let Cormac release his grip on the rope. Cormac slumped down into a sitting position on the floor as he needed a moment to process what he'd just done. Adam bent down to check for the Londoner's pulse before he was certain the man was dead. "It's done now, mate," Adam finally concluded, reaching out to give Cormac an approving pat on the shoulder. "Tell Seamus he's in. The Sweeneys are now working for the Sullivans," he confirmed.

*****​

Adam had been with Syd in his office for a couple of hours before Aliana arrived. Keen to hear an update on Conor, Adam got up from his seat when he heard the boss' wife calling out. "I'll go," he told Syd. Adam walked into the main area of the house to greet to woman, sending her a friendly smile before motioning in the direction of the office. "Syd's in his office," he confirmed as he walked alongside her. Once inside the office, Adam closed the door behind them and returned to his seat, waiting for Syd to start the meeting.

Pyroclast (Syd)
Melanin-Gxdess (Aliana)

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
Trevor's House
~ Islington, London ~​

Harper turned her head just as she was about to reach for the door herself, watching as Trevor fumbled with his wallet, stating that it wasn't a good idea for him to give her a lift home in his own car." She was about to decline him paying for any sort of ride, she had enough money to pay for the bus. He grabbed the door handle but she was distracted by the fact that he was willing to pay for a taxi ride home. He didn't finish his sentence, however, cut off by something grabbing his attention which caused her to turn to look out the door. Jeremy sat patiently waiting for her and her expression grew increasingly irritated, "It looks that way doesn't it." Harper muttered as she hobbled out the door. Turning to her father, she offered her an uneasy small smile. "Thanks for having me, I'll make sure that Uncle Bruce and the boys know that this was entirely my doing." She said confidently but then again, she knew she could only do so much.

Looking at Jeremy, Harper hobbled past him down the small staircase, "A man of many talents, hmm? Stalking me? That seems pretty beneath you, Jere." Knowing that he would most likely try to intimidate Trevor in some way. "Leave him be. He's already been through enough. You are mad at me, right? Let's go." Harper looked back at Trevor at the bottom of the stairs and silently nodded at him, basically signaling that he could close his door. When it eventually closed, Harper crossed her arms before starting to hobble in the direction of the bus stop. "I'm not surprised you tracked me down if you must know. But you can't say anything to Bruce or my brothers about this." Harper said. The stop was only a few feet away and once she arrived, she defiantly sat on the bench, crossing her arms once more as her face twitched slightly in pain.

She had managed not to take any pills that whole interaction, the bag she had brought still over her shoulder now weighing heavily over her. Regardless of what Jeremy said, Harper sighed and looked up at him for a long moment. "I know you are probably thinking that I used you...with that kiss and all." She stated before shaking her head. "While I will say being able to escape so easily was definitely a perk, I didn't kiss you solely for that. I knew either way you would find out and follow me. But I had to get some sort of answers." Her eyes watered slightly and she forced herself to look away from him, focusing on the other side of the street.

"I deserved to know about her, Jere. My mother...and I wanted to know about her from my father. Bruce and my brothers talk about her but it always ends with them blaming Trevor for what happened. I figure I should hear it straight from the horse's mouth, ya know. They never told me about their relationship, about what happened. That's not fair." Harper huffed softly, tears falling down her eyes. She got the information she wanted...but she didn't realize that she would also get the information she needed. Harper knew she needed help, but it was hard to admit...she was way too independent to rely on anyone and she didn't want them to worry about her.

"I-I think...I need help." Harper said weakly, forcing herself to look up at Jeremy. "I can't stop taking these pills, Jere."
with: Trevor Misty Gray ; Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Le Hospital
Michelle Romano​

Michelle growled with frustration and threw her hands up. She wasn’t use to having to apologize to people, she wasn’t use to having to explain herself. Her husband had always made it seem like she could do no wrong – even if obviously she was because he went right to another woman – so their fights came late and often left her feeling like she did not owe him an apology. Apologizing to her children was not the same, because often times her apologizes were for doing something that she knew was the right move as a mother, and it left them upset because they were children who didn’t understand.

When Aliana finally snapped and lost her patience, so did Michelle who was happy to have her storm off as she herself threw her hands in the air and walked away opposite of her. The infuriating woman couldn’t just accept that she knew her emotions were wrong, but she couldn’t force them to change? That she was trying to apologize and make things better? No, it had to be her way, or no way. Maybe moving home was the wrong move after all. Maybe it would be better for her to leave, Australia was sounding better by the moment.

The damn woman referred to her as a child again, and that just irked her more. She wanted to swing on her, and the thought in her head was that was certainly a trait she got from her father, but her mothers voice in her head stopped her. You should never use your fist if you can use your words. If you can’t use your words, you haven’t found the right ones. Another growl escaped her as she spun back around ready to see her father and spend some time with him before she had to leave to allow her royal arse to return to his side. Not like she got most of Michelle’s life with him, that she now needed more then his daughter did to see him. That would be childish of Michelle to assume she had a right to see him and catch up on missed time because she hadn’t been around him for most of her life.

Finally following Aliana back to Conor’s room, she stopped in front of Edwards again, her face almost a perfect imitation of the one Aliana had on her face as she walked away. “You can tell her I’ll leave when I damn well feel like it, which just might be never. Try to apologize to someone, and you’re still the fucking bad guy.” She scowled and pushed past him, almost at the door before she stopped and turned back, taking a deep breath and the look on her face eased. “I said something to Aliana about her being to blame for the reason my mother and father did not end up together. I understand, logically speaking, it's no more her fault than it is mine that my ex did not stay faithful to me. Still, I can’t help that a part of me feels like if her and my father had never met, he might have found a way to make it work with my mother.”

Michelle sighed and rubbed her arms, still standing a hands reach from the door. “It’s not her fault, a very large part of me knows this. I tried to apologize, but the very small part of me that still feels the way I feel – regardless of how logical my brain argues – still keeps fucking it up and I can’t say it right. It just keeps pissing her off more, no matter what I say.” She paused for a moment, collecting herself before she smiled, and put her hand on the doorknob. “Thanks for the talk Edwards, I have a father to spend time with before the wicked step mothers shoos me away.” She managed a playful grin, before entering into the dark hospital room. She looked her father, sitting in the bed and the very small part of her felt like it grew. Was she so wrong for having wanted more of her father in her life?

She moved over to him, leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead before she sat down beside him. “Hey Dad, how are you feeling?” She reached her hand out and grasped his, squeezing gently. “Nice to see you awake now, instead of sleeping.” Michelle tried to force a lightness into her voice, and do as Aliana asked – not worrying or stressing him. She didn’t want to cause problems, despite what the woman might think. She really just wanted things to be ok between them and to feel welcome and wanted somewhere, but that seemed to be growing less and less likely. Again, for the space of a moment, she considered just running away. How bad could Australia be?

Mentions and Interactions Misty Gray - Conor
BloodThunder27 - Edwards
Melanin-Gxdess - Aliana

 

[Pyroclast]

Erik's Place
~ Hackney, London ~

Billy King​

Erik met Billy’s suggestive look with one of his own, each knowing they were having the same idea. Billy’s heart began to race at the mere mention of it, suddenly nervous as well as excited. But Erik’s teasing provoked his confident side and he leaned in close, their lips almost touching. “Try me.”

Instead of kissing him, Billy launched himself away from the man, grabbing his hand on the way and pulling him with urgency towards the bedroom. His eagerness had him moving fast and he ran to the window to draw the curtains shut. The room fell dark, but Billy wanted to see Erik fully, so he switched a lamp on, creating a sensual atmosphere. His heart was still racing but he knew that, despite not knowing what he was doing exactly, he wanted this more than anything. So he didn’t let himself hesitate, instead bounding over to Erik and pulling the man's t-shirt off.

It wasn’t the first time Billy had seen him undressed, but this time was different. Because this time, he could do more than just look. Before long, the two were standing together, shirtless, and Billy pressed his body up against Erik's, his elbows resting on his shoulders and his hands massaging through his hair as he kissed him passionately. Still maintaining as much physical contact as possible, his wandering hands soon traveled down and began to blindly unbuckle his belt, his breathing growing heavier as the force of their kiss led them towards the bed. "I want you…"

…fade to black…​

When he could feel himself slowly coming back down to earth, Billy opened his eyes to look up at his boyfriend, a sheen of sweat on his flushed skin. A warm smile spread across his face as he reached up to comb his fingers through Erik's disheveled curls. Never having had sex with anyone he truly loved or wanted to be with, Billy felt like his eyes had finally been opened. He was so happy he was worried he might get emotional, so instead he laughed at the sight of his boyfriend. "So fuckin' messy," he teased, and slowly pushed himself upright. He didn't actually care about the mess at all, still too wrapped up in the intimacy of the moment. So he climbed into a seating position and wrapped his arms around Erik's neck, leaning in to kiss him warmly and tenderly on the lips. "I can't believe that just happened," he whispered through a smile. "I love you so damn fuckin' much, Erik Snowden…"

Interactions
Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Misty Gray]

Dublin Hospital
~ Dublin City Centre, Dublin ~

Conor Sullivan​

Between the annoying beeping of the medical equipment around him, Conor had heard the odd muffled voices from outside his room. Whilst part of him was curious, he decided he didn't have the energy to care enough about what was being said. He trusted if there was anything important that he should know then he would be told. The door was soon opened and as the figure approached, Conor saw his eldest daughter had joined him. When she told him it was nice seeing him awake, he let out a light scoff. "Speak for yourself, kid. I was quite enjoying the rest and I was having a cracking dream before I woke up. I'm pretty sure it involved steak and a pint," he mused aloud. "No chance of that in here," he grumbled.

Conor grimaced as he shuffled to sit more upright. "You planning on sticking around?" he asked her, carefully moving his arm to point at the chair for her to sit down next to his bed. "Are my grandchildren here yet?" he curiously asked her, though he was certain he already knew the answer. Conor had often wondered how Michelle felt on the subject of grandparents. His own dad had been murdered on the order of Alex's father. Alex's mother had been killed by Lucy and Alex's father by James. Both sides of Michelle's family were responsible for the deaths of her grandparents, with the only one she'd managed to meet and know was Shannon, who had recently passed away from natural causes. "It can't be easy you coming back to Dublin, huh? I expect your mother told you enough about what happened with her side of the family and mine in the past," he trailed off.

Letting out a sigh, Conor looked to his daughter. "Are you planning on sticking around?" he asked her, though this time he meant in Dublin rather than just by his bedside. "It's messy here and I don't know what you're planning on doing for a job and living arrangements... But I'd like you to stay. It might not be hot and sunny, but this is where your family is. And the kids can get to know the Irish bunch they're related to."

BasDorcha (Michelle)

 

[Pyroclast]

Syd Porter's House
~ gnjkfdsuigfdksvkcs ~

Syd Porter​

As Conor’s right hand, Syd knew there would always be a chance that he would someday have to step into his uncle’s shoes. Despite the stressful events surrounding his family, Syd made sure every morning to dress well and take a long look at himself in the mirror. No matter what mood he was in, he would stand there until he saw what his Godfather had seen in him.

”Look at the man you’ve become,” Syd heard Jackson say to him through ragged, dying breaths. “A warrior. A lord. You will become…unstoppable.”

For all Syd had been through in his life, he never could quite understand the man’s confidence in him. His mental breakdowns had hospitalised him for months and landed him in prison for part of his children's early years; no matter how much he looked up to the men in his family, no matter how much strength it took him to live with the trauma and mental illnesses that he had to handle every day, he always knew deep down that he would never be strong in the same way as James or Conor. But he also knew that, despite his differences and his own personal challenges, he had a duty to his family and to the business. He couldn’t let Jackson down.

Though he had expected to someday take Conor’s place - even if just as a regent - the circumstances were something he could never fully prepare for. It just so happened that what took Conor down was a deliberate attack from the Kings, leaving Syd with a serious problem to take the lead on. Fortunately, as Syd filled the temporary position as leader, Adam smoothly transitioned into the role of his right hand. The man’s level-headed nature helped Syd to stay focused, and he trusted his friend not to let him be pulled off track by the mounting concerns he had for those around him.


Being a Thursday, and therefore not a day on which he had the kids, Syd allowed himself as many cigarettes as it took to keep him calm. The Londoner that Cormac had captured and shown to Syd and Adam had now been dealt with. The man had meant very little in the grand scheme of things; he was barely a target, simply a nameless soldier on the wrong side of the war. His death mainly served to establish the Sweeney brothers’ loyalty to the Sullivans, but it didn’t bring Syd much solace to know that the Kings had lost one of their foot soldiers. If Syd didn’t already know the name of their target, then they weren’t enough to make up for Aidan’s death or Conor’s severe injuries.

When Adam and Aliana stepped into his office, Syd leaned forward in his chair and tapped his cigarette against the ashtray. “Aliana,” he said with a small smile. “Take a seat, I’ll make you a drink…” He stood and made his way over to the drinks cabinet, shoving the cigarette between his teeth to free up his hands. “What do you fancy?”

Once the drinks were sorted, Syd sat down again and looked at his aunt with a serious expression in his eyes. “How’re you holding up, Ali?” he asked softly, briefly glancing to Adam before settling his gaze back on Aliana. “I just want to let you know, I don’t plan on waiting around to get back at the cockney fucks responsible for this. I know things are getting messy, and I’m sorry for all the ways it’s hit you.” He took a deep drag of his cigarette, feeling the gravity of all the suffering the family had endured since the feud with the Kings began. “How’s Conor doing? Any updates?”

Interactions
Misty Gray Adam
Melanin-Gxdess Aliana

 

[BasDorcha]

Trevor's Place
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy was at his wait limit, finishing one last cigarette and hotter than a lit coal when the door finally opened and there stood Trevor and Harper. Truth was he wasn’t mad at Trevor. He understood why the family didn’t like him around, and he understood that if he had a daughter, he would want to know her. The man didn’t force Harper to get out of her house and come see him, otherwise Harper would not have dealt with that, you couldn’t force Harper to do anything she didn’t want to do. No, he was mad at Harper. He felt used, and after the way she had treated him since this whole babysitting gig started, the incident at the hospital, all of it had boiled to a head while he sat there, waiting. She didn’t trust him, obviously. She didn’t love him, he seen that now.

Standing up, he tossed his cigarette to the curb and dusted himself off, nodding to Trevor with a knowing look. Jeremy had no intent of boxing the man in front of Harper, it would destroy whatever there was real between them. He stepped away, putting more space between them to reassure them both there was not going to be a fight, at least with the men.

When that smart mouth of hers started, the look on Jeremy’s face grew colder. That’s how it was going to be, her blaming him for her mistake? He bit his tongue until the door closed, and he took a few steps behind her. “Are you trying to get me killed Harper? Did you even consider what your uncle and brothers would do to me if they knew you were here? The fucking lookouts saw you. Harper. If I don’t tell them, and they found out I kept this from them, they will not just be giving me a smack on the hand.” His voice was stone cold, and gravely. Some of that calmness was ruffling.

When she continued on speaking, he silently glowered at her back, all the way to his car that he guided her too with jabs of his finger. So angry was he, he missed the watering of her eyes because he was struggling to look at her without exploding. He nodded, listening. He got it, if he had a chance to learn more about his parents, he sure as hell would jump on it. He was ready to tell her how he felt, when she blindsided him with her last comment. He fell deathly silent, struggling between very different emotions, wanting to grab her and hold her for her admissions, and strangle her in the same move for not trusting him sooner, and jerking him around. He compromised, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, walking her to the door that he opened for her, let her get in, then closed before getting in on his own side.

The moments ticked by with him sitting behind the wheel, the car not started, hands gripping to the point of his knuckles turning white. He turned to look at her, and arm stretched between the seats, the other on the dashboard. “Harper, for once in your life you’re going to sit there and listen to me, and you’re going to let me finish without interrupting. You drive me fucking crazy, do you know that? It’s like living in a hurricane, one moment its raining, the next there’s a spot of sun, then it’s raining again. You have known me all of your life, and you don’t trust me? Don’t say that you do, because you wouldn’t have pulled this shit today if you did. I am not your brothers, I know what it’s like to not know your parents, I didn’t have my parents around any more then you did. My uncle, sure, but I didn’t have memories like Spencer or Alex. If you had just told me, we could have done this differently. Trevor’s a prick, sure, but people change.” He paused, looking at her.

“You’ll change.” He leaned his hand forward a little, brushing her shoulder supportively with his thumb, as if out of instinct. “If you let me help you. We’ll do the rounds, meetings and the likes, it’s a place to start. I’m… I’m glad you’re saying. I know I’ve been growing more concerned as time went on but… I figured I could trust you to make the right decision. Look’s like I was mostly right.” He tried to force a smile, but the edge of anger that hadn’t died down was still there. He started driving, he needed to get them away before anyone else saw them there.

Mentions Misty Gray - Trevor
Bellz - Harper

 

[BloodThunder27]

~James Edwards: Chapter's End (Final Post For This Chapter)~

---

Dublin Hospital

Unfortunately for Edwards, Michelle got relatively snappy following her heated conversation with Aliana, who said to let her know when Michelle leaves so that she could come back. Seemingly out of spite, the woman said that she'd leave when she pleases...which may be never. Well that's a little harsh. Aliana wasn't the only one that wanted to see Conor though. And if Michelle was planning to prolong her visit to spite the Sullivan Family Matriarch, then...would he be ordered to drag her out of the room? With her Dad watching? As the awkward thought crossed through his mind, Michelle spoke up and it wasn't long until they made eye contact.

"Try to apologize to someone, and you’re still the fucking bad guy.”

Before Edwards had much of a chance to say anything, the woman pushed passed him to get to the door. This prompted him to frown a little, because she was relatively happy before Aliana exited the room. But now? That happiness was just gone. Soon, Michelle turned around to face him once more and spoke up.

“I said something to Aliana about her being to blame for the reason my mother and father did not end up together. I understand, logically speaking, it's no more her fault than it is mine that my ex did not stay faithful to me. Still, I can’t help that a part of me feels like if her and my father had never met, he might have found a way to make it work with my mother.”

As his prior question had been answered...and his curiosity satisfied...Edwards' frown turned into a look of partial confusion. She was blaming Aliana for her Mother and Conor not being together? Did Conor have an affair with Aliana before it evolved into marriage after a nasty break up or even divorce? And this mirrored what Michelle herself would face later down the road? No, no that was just too far-fetched. And who was he to make these assumptions? He knew little to nothing about this family beyond the whole gangster/mob thing, only bits and pieces that Chase, James, Sinead and even Emery have shared with him in past conversations. Although he had a number of questions about it, that was something he would have to wait until he got to know the family better...or if they bring it up first.

“It’s not her fault, a very large part of me knows this. I tried to apologize, but the very small part of me that still feels the way I feel – regardless of how logical my brain argues – still keeps fucking it up and I can’t say it right. It just keeps pissing her off more, no matter what I say.”

To that though, Edwards wasn't sure of what to say. How old was Michelle when Aliana got with Conor? Again, another personal question that he had no right to ask...not yet anyway. From his perspective though, it seemed like Michelle was conflicted. Part of her knew that Aliana wasn't to blame for Conor and her Mother not working out...but another part of her wanted to hold that against the Sullivan Matriarch. There was no way for Edwards to relate or anything as he never had to go through such an ordeal as a child.

Thanks for the talk Edwards, I have a father to spend time with before the wicked step mothers shoos me away.”

"Yeah, we can talk more later. And I'd like that to be honest." His confusion soon transitioned into a smile. "Anyway, don't worry about me. Go spend time with your Father." He nodded as she opening the door.

Once she was in the room, Edwards proceeded to shut the door behind her as to respect privacy. He proceeded to return to watching the lobby and keeping an eye out for suspicious activities and potential trouble. Hopefully the rest of the day would go by smoothly from here...

---

Interactions: Michelle Romano BasDorcha

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Area 51
~Syd's Place~
Aliana Sullivan​

Aliana followed the sound of Adam's voice, turning to face him. "Well hello, Adam, nice to see you too," she joked, playfully shaking her head. "Man takes my best friend away and doesn't even ask how I'm doing." Despite her teasing, Ali was actually very happy and excited for her best friend and Adam. They'd been flirting for a long time and it was about time someone made the move. She was also relieved when Blake accepted that she'd have to move on and though Jackson was the love of her life, he'd still want her to be happy even if that meant dating someone else. Ali then followed him down the hall towards Syd's office trying to maintain that playful attitude she'd suddenly found herself in. Upon seeing her nephew her smile grew even wider.

She wasn't exactly sure when it had happened - when Syd was a teen and comforted her after Leo had died or even after his attack in New York - but she'd always felt more at ease when he was around. Sure, he was a lot to handle but she still loved him. As of late, it felt like they hadn't spent as much time together or even seen each other but she figured that's how things worked. She didn't hold it against him and hoped the same for him. The moment he asked what she wanted to drink, she let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. "The strongest thing you've got," she said exasperated, taking a seat. It took a few seconds for her to notice he was smoking and she gestured towards the cigarette. "Aren't you s'posed to stop smoking?" Though she also didn't like the habit, if it kept him calm even for a while then so be it. She thanked him for the drink once it was handed to her and she immediately took a long sip from it.

It wasn't long before that playful, relaxed feeling Aliana'd found herself quickly disappeared. She immediately let out a scoff as the earlier feeling of irritation and annoyance resurfaced on her face. "Stressed beyond fucking belief." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "If it's not one thing it's a-fucking-nother." A part of her expected to glaze over the topic of Michelle but considering it was the main source of her mood at the moment that wasn't exactly possible. She paused to listen to what Syd had to say, ensuring her that he was going to handle it right away rather than later. And though she was grateful that it wouldn't drag, she worried if moving so quickly was a good idea. But, she trusted Syd knew what he was doing and would back him up - whatever the decision. "Thanks for that, Syd. Really." Though Aliana liked to believe she was used to such atrocities happening to her family, she wasn't. As the years go by, they all get a bit closer and thus form stronger bonds. One of them dying or getting hurt would certainly cause more heartbreak as the years go on.

Syd then asked about updates on Conor and for a moment she looked at her feet. The moment she heard her husband had been attacked she'd nearly been undone. Before Leo was born, Ali had breathed and lived for Conor, and when they had children that sentiment had been extended to them. There were so many times when the universe threatened to take him away from her. Luckily for her, it never happened, but something about this time had felt different. As if, this was going to be the time he finally was. She'd found herself crying more than she'd ever had and she was so tired of it. So instead of letting her overwhelming emotions take over, she looked between Syd and Adam. "He's awake, for one. Which is really good. Memory's a little screwy and split up but it's not horribly misconstrued or anything," she let out a deep sigh before continuing. "Doc says he needs to keep his stress down. Meaning..." She paused, unsure of how to say her next words. "Let me not beat around the bush. You're in charge, Syd, you know that. Conor needs to recover and business is going to be the last thing on his list - he has no choice. No pressure, of course." She playfully added. "But you have Adam and me to back you up and help if you need it. Remember that." Letting the words sink in, she finished whatever remnants were left in her glass. "I had to tell him about Aidan... Is Benjie doing okay?"
Syd ( Pyroclast ) Adam ( Misty Gray )